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Art of War
| miniseries = Star Trek: The Manga | date = 2267 | stardate = 3905.7 | writer = Wil Wheaton | artist = E.J. Su | editor = Luis Reyes | letterer = MichaelPaolilli, Lucas Rivera | colorist = Chow Hon Lam, Mara Aum | anthology = Uchu | pages = 46 (6-51) | cover = uchu cover.jpg }} "Art of War" was the first of four Star Trek: The Original Series manga stories in the 2008 anthology Uchu (Universe). It was published by TokyoPop, written by Wil Wheaton, and drawn by E.J. Su. In this story, Captain James T. Kirk and a Klingon Commander were on trial for their actions in a collapsed tritanium mine. Description :Wil Wheaton returns with a Klingon confrontation that may test Kirk's resolute hatred of them. Summary James T. Kirk and Klingon Commander Kring were being tried separately for their experiences at Angrena. Kirk was charged with violating a Starfleet directive applicable in wartime and threatened with the loss of his command. Kring was charged with cowardice and threatened with execution. During the trial, each described what happened from their point of view. ;Captain's log, stardate 3905.7. : We have received a distress call from the Federation mining colony on Angrena. Our scheduled visit to Starbase Six for some much needed rest and relaxation will have to be postponed until the rescue operation is completed. An explosion of hydrogen reserves deep underground killed 89 miners and destabilized the planet’s tritanium mine. Facing imminent collapse, mining Chief Engineer Ripley had issued a distress call and requested emergency evacuation. The responded at maximum warp speed. ;Captain's log, stardate 3905.9. : We have reached the mining colony on Angrena. I have assembled a medical and engineering landing party to treat any wounded, and prepare the survivors for evacuation. I have asked my chief engineer, ship's doctor, and first officer to accompany me. Beaming down, Leonard McCoy rushed to care for the injured. Kirk and Ripley were wondering how the explosion might have happened when a Klingon landing party materialized and started attacking everyone in sight. During the fight, the ground gave way and Kirk and Commander Kring fell into the mine, separated by rubble. With radiation disabling their communicators, Kirk and Kring each followed directions to a way out. In the dark, each was being attacked stealthily, seemingly by the other, until their paths ran into each other, and they realized their common enemy was a Jeru, a large, vicious creature that infests mines. They fought it together, with Kring killing it while seeming to save Kirk. “You’re next,” Kring said, launching into Kirk. The cliff edge gave way, and Kring held on with one arm. Kirk pulled him up. Saying Kring owed him a life debt and would not kill him out of , Kirk suggested they work together to get out of the mine. They constructed a bridge with planks to climb out of the area to the lift. While climbing out, they saw hundreds of Jeru eggs around the bottom of the mine and realized that the Jeru likely had inadvertently triggered the mine explosion. When they reached the lift, Kring observed that Kirk seemed to know a lot about Klingons. Kirk quoted Sun Tzu, which Kring called “rare Human wisdom,” deciding he and Kirk had similar philosophies. After arriving on the surface, both captains ordered fighting to stop. Spock reported that several Klingon prisoners were ready to be transported to Starbase 6. Kirk asked Kring if he were going to attack the Enterprise, which would trigger all-out war, but Kring said he had no interest in violating the cease fire. On that basis, Kirk released the captured Klingons to Kring and both crews left the planet. Before beaming up, Spock said that releasing the Klingons was a violation of Starfleet Directive 72, and that he would be forced to report it, leading to the court martial. The court said showing mercy to the Klingons might help prevent war in the future and called Kirk’s actions unorthodox. Kirk was reprimanded, however, and required to file a full report upon arrival at Starbase 6. Meanwhile, Kring had been accused of cowardice. His judge said, “considering everything we know to be true about Human behavior,” the events couldn’t have happened as Kring said. Kring’s subordinates, angling for promotions, did not support their captain. Kring stood his ground resolutely and proudly as he was killed. ;Captain's personal log. : I told Kring "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles." I didn't tell him the rest of that lesson: "If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat." We are so certain that we know the Klingons, and they are equally certain that they know us, but we haven't made much of an effort to challenge our mutual conviction. Just as I don't represent all men, Kring can't represent all Klingons, yet the symbolism of working together to build a bridge is not lost on me. I hope it was not lost on him. References Characters :Pavel Chekov • James T. Kirk • • K'Ley • • Kring • K'Toth • Leonard McCoy • Reyes • Ripley • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Nyota Uhura • Wellman • unnamed Starfleet personnel (court martial officers) Kahless the Unforgettable • Montgomery Scott • Sun Tzu Starships and vehicles : ( heavy cruiser) • Kring's battle cruiser • mining vehicle Locations :Angrena Starbase 6 Races and cultures :Human • Klingon • Vulcan States and organizations :Klingon High Council • Starfleet Command Science and technology :axe • communicator • d'k tahg • deflector screen • disruptor • mining • painstik • phaser • scanner • sensor • transporter • tricorder • turbolift Ranks and titles :arbiter • captain • chief engineer • commander • commodore • doctor • Federation Starfleet ranks (2260s) • first officer • lieutenant • philosopher • rank • seismologist • Starfleet ranks • warrior Klingon phrases :bIjeghbe'chugh vaj bIHegh • Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvam • Kahlesste kaase • petaQ Other references :The Art of War • alert status (yellow alert) • assignment patch • beam • brig • [[captain's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), 2267|captain's log, USS Enterprise, 2267]] • cease fire • court martial • distress call • egg • execution • galaxy • • hour • hydrogen • Jeru • Kring's battle cruiser personnel • landing party • moon • ore • Organian ceasefire • quarters • radiation • reprimand • shore leave • sickbay • Starfleet Directive 72 • Starfleet uniform • Starfleet uniform (2265-2270) • tritanium • war Timeline Chronology * This story took place in 2267 shortly after the Organians prevented an impending war between the Federation and the Klingon Empire in , during the period of cease fire prior to the official signing of the Organian Peace Treaty. Production history ; July 2008 : Printed in 5" x 7 1/2" format in the anthology Star Trek: The Manga - Uchu ; March 2009 : Reprinted in 6" x 9" format in the anthology Star Trek: The Manga - Ultimate Edition Appendices Background * This story was named in honor of The Art of War, a treatise on military philosophy by Sun Tzu which created common ground between Kirk and Kring. * One of the Kring's arbiters quoted Kahless the Unforgettable as having said, "The wind does not respect a fool." This quote was also referenced in 2369 in . * Kring repeated Kahless' quote, "Great men do not seek power, they have power thrust upon them." This statement was also referenced by Worf, son of Mogh in 2375 in . The quote was similar to the phrase, "Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them," which was written by William Shakespeare. ([http://shakespeare.mit.edu/twelfth_night/twelfth_night.2.5.html Twelfth Night, Act 2 Scene 5] at The Complete Works of William Shakespeare) * Both trials took place in unidentified locations. * Kring's battle cruiser was capable of beaming up nine people at once. The Enterprise beamed down ten people at once. * During the period of cease fire depicted in this story, both sides believed that opposing starships were not allowed to attack each other, but individuals could still shoot at each other, at least on Angrena. * Starfleet Directive 72 prohibited “willing failure to capture an enemy commander and freeing enemy prisoners without cause” during wartime. Technically Kirk could only have violated the directive because this story took place prior to the formal signing of the Organian Peace Treaty. From an Organian point of view, the state of war ended in . * Montgomery Scott was cited in the captain's log as being included in the landing party to Angrena, but he was not shown in artwork. Pavel Chekov appeared on the bridge, but did not have dialogue. Errata * Kring stated that lied for the sake of ambition and followed along. The larger of the two was congratulated for his act in court and promoted to commander, making him Keer, yet two pages earlier it was the smaller of the two who vowed to act against Kring. * Mining chief engineer Ripley and the commodore presiding over Kirk's court martial strongly resembled each other. * Promotional text referenced Kirk's "hatred" for Klingons, but his blind racism did not exist until after the death of his son David Marcus. In this story, both Kirk and the commodore hoped to build bridges toward improved relations with the Klingons. Related media * – Established settings and procedures for a Starfleet court martial. * – Defined the terms of the Organian Peace Treaty. * – Established background for large-scale Federation mining colonies. * – Established trial settings for a Klingon court. * – Sun Tzu's philosophy similarly impacted events in this story. Images art-of-War-Kring.jpg|Commander Kring. Keer.jpg|Keer Art-of-War-Kolos.jpg|Kolos K'Ley.jpg|Arbiter K'Ley art-of-War-Jeru.jpg|Jeru creature. ripley.jpg|Chief Engineer Ripley Connections | typea = story | author = Wil Wheaton | formata = story | beforea = Cura Te Ipsum | aftera = last story | prevMB = | nextMB = | voyages1 = | adbefore1 = | adafter1 = }} External links * * Art of War article at Wil Wheaton's blog. * Art of War review at TrekMovie. category:tOS comics